


A Card to Pocket

by Heybabycakee



Series: Magician AU [1]
Category: Borderlands, Tales from the Borderlands - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Magician AU, and salt, cause why not lmao, for Gravy, more to come - Freeform, this is just how they met
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 07:00:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6413617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heybabycakee/pseuds/Heybabycakee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhys is not obsessed. He's not. It's just a natural reaction to one of the world's most famous magicians.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Card to Pocket

**Author's Note:**

> This is from an AU by gravy-navy and fancy-rhys so like go follow them on Tumblr. I got a list of prompts for the AU and nothing is going to stop me because this AU is gold and I need gravy to just fuck me up.

Rhys was not obsessed. He really wasn't no matter what Vaughn said. He just... admired differently from other people and who he admired may be a bit questionable but its not anyones business but his own. He can admit that maybe having a magician be his role model through his whole high school career isn't normal and Vaughn would also point out his huge crush on Handsome Jack didn't help either. Whatever. Vaughn can be a dick but right now he is a godsend. Oh yes. Vaughn is heaven put into man form. The best friend anyone could ask for. Rhys could kiss him and he probably would have if he could tear his eyes away from what's in his hands. And what's in his hands is none other than two tickets to Handsome Jack's (sold out!!) show. Rhys internally screams for about 3 minutes before Vaughn interrupts him.

"Are you just gonna stare at them?"

"Dude," Rhys looks up at Vaughn with amazement in his eyes.

"I'm amazing, I know," Vaughn does an imaginary hair flip.

 _"Dude_. _"_

"Yeah yeah. Look, you've been freaking out for awhile now and I think you should go get ready. It starts at 8 and it's, what, 7:18?" He checks his watch.

Rhys looks down at his sweatpants. He didn't have work today and the most he did all day was go get something out the kitchen. His days get pretty boring with Vaughn's internship taking all his time and Yvette almost never visits unless it's to steal food. Monday was his birthday, hence the gift from Vaughn, and he didn't have any obligations this week. Rhys pretty much ran to his room to get changed. He showered and tore apart his closet for something to wear. He put on nice jeans and a button up. He also put on his lucky socks; they had blue and yellow stripes. Those socks had gotten him laid and free ice cream on the same day. They have a special place in Rhys' heart.

When they get to the place, it's huge but no one can fill up the space like Handsome Jack can. He's an amazing magician and a bit crazy. His tricks are always the most daring and dangerous out there. There is an infinite amount of knives on stage with him at all his performances and Rhys also suspects he has at least three on him at all times. His signature move is throwing knives at audience members. And his birds. One does not simply forget Handsome Jack's birds. Plenty of people are terrified of him and he has a fierce reputation but that has never deterred Rhys. Rhys believes Handsome Jack is one of the most amazing people in the world and he wanted to meet him in person at least once.

Vaughn is literally the best. Their seats are so close to the stage that Rhys starts thinking of ways to pay him back. He might have to start saving now. He could not thank the other man enough.

"Dude this is so amazing. Seriously how did you pull this off?" Rhys turned to him, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I know your internship does not pay you enough for this."

"Well I guess you could say its a birthday present from me and your parents," Vaughn sheepishly admits.

"My par- Vaughn," Rhys put a hand to his face and mumbled into it. _"Why?"_

"Sorry dude. They wanted to do something special and they asked me about it. It is your 25th birthday dude."

Rhys loves his family, he really, really does but his mom worries too much about him and his father's willingness to spend any sum of money on his eldest son makes him feel a bit uncomfortable. Sure he likes living the life of luxury as much as the next guy but he  _is_  25 now and his parents can't keep coddling him. 

"If this were anything else I would leave," he grumbles and sits back in his chair.

The lights dim slightly and all attention was on the stage.

"Ladies and Gentleman, get ready for the night of your lives! Please welcome the one and only, Handsome Jack!"

While everyone stands and claps, Handsome Jack appears out the ground and poses. He's even better looking in person (you know from a scientific point of view. It's just a fact. He's called Handsome Jack for a reason. Stop judging). There he was in all his glory. He's wearing a black button up tucked into black jeans and an extremely red jacket that practically glows in the spotlight with a matching tie and boots. His hair is as fabulous as it is in Rhys' posters in his room. He walks like he owns the stage and honestly, he does. Everyone is entranced and keeps a close eye on all his tricks. He starts out with turning multiple colored cloths into colorful birds that he handles with such care. He puts all of them into their cage and begins his next trick which turns out to be a card trick. He pulled out a deck of cards and showed the audience.

"As you can see, this is just an ordinary deck of cards. In fact, let me get an audience member up here." Everyone and their mother raised their hands including Rhys. Handsome Jack looks out into the audience and puts a hand up to block the light while jumping down from the stage. He starts walking down the aisles with curious looks towards the people.

"What about the birthday boy!?" Vaughn shouts right next to him and Rhys feels embarrassed for about a moment before Handsome Jack's eyes catch his. There is an intensity behind those eyes and then he grins.

"Come on birthday boy," and he stretches his hand out towards Rhys. Rhys is at a loss for a second until something (Vaughn) pushes him forward and he grabs Handsome Jack's hand. They make their way up to the stage and when Rhys is on stage he only then realizes he's next to Handsome Jack.

"So what's your name princess?" he asks after a long second of staring at each other.

"Rhys," he rolls his eyes at the pet name.

"Well Rhys, can you hold this for me?" He puts the deck of cards in Rhys' hands and Rhys sees him slightly fumble with it, though it goes unnoticed by the audience. "Check it."

"Definitely just a deck of cards," he says after flipping through the cards.

"Thank you, pumpkin," and Handsome Jack takes the deck. He steps back and loses his balance over the cords on stage and Rhys catches his hand. He gives Rhys a thankful yet embarrassed look before switching back to his usual cocky attitude. He clears his throat before continuing on his trick. 

"Right, so, ordinary deck of cards. No funny business right?" Rhys shakes his head. "Great. Now pick a card," Rhys contemplates the deck for a second before picking one close to the middle. "Now I need you to, uh, sign your name," Rhys obliges and gives the card back to Handsome Jack and he puts it back in the deck.

"Rhysie here signed his name on the card and now there is only one card in the world like it. I'm going to shuffle the cards and pick out the 12th card," he did as he said and soon he was counting of cards and throwing them on the ground. When he got to the 12th card, he pulled it out and showed it to the audience and then Rhys.

"...that's not my card," Rhys felt a little disappointment but the grin on Handsome Jack's face promised more.

"I know," He threw the card. "Check your pocket," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. Not any card, but his card.

"How..?" He wasn't standing anywhere near Handsome Jack when he did his little trick. Handsome Jack looked at him and he just put a finger to his lips and winked.

"Thank you Rhysie for being a lovely assistant but I must go on with the show," he gives Rhys a twirl and pushes him to bow. As Rhys makes his way off the stage and back to his seat, he can't help but think about the man under the stage persona.

Before today, Rhys would have fought tooth and nail to the idea that Handsome Jack is as confident in real life as he is on stage. Now, he's not so sure. Never before had he seen Handsome Jack look uncertain and especially not embarrassed but catching a glimpse of that on stage takes the Handsome out and leaves just the Jack. And Rhys likes that. It makes Handsome Jack-no Jack- more approachable, more human and more flawed. Handsome Jack is perfect, flawless and vicious. From what he's seen, Jack is not. He wants more. Wants to get to know the man behind Handsome Jack, intrigued by Jack and possibly, he even admires Jack more. 

As the show comes to an end, Vaughn gets up to leave but Rhys is still staring at the stage. "Helllllo? Earth to Rhys?"

"Oh hey sorry, the shows over?"

"Yeah for like 5 minutes. Are you still drooling over Handsome Jack?" Rhys shoves at Vaughn.

"Not drooling. He's just interesting," he gets up to stretch.

"Oh why of course," they start to walk to the exit and Rhys realizes how empty the place is when his name is echoed through the building.

"Rhys!" Turning around, he saw Handsome Jack run up to him but now it was just Jack.

"I'll be in the car," Vaughn announces as he sneaks away.

"Hey Rhysie," Jack says as he reaches him. Rhys gives him a curious look.

"Hey Jack," and Jack looks momentarily surprised before he's grinning again.

"So you like what I do?" 

"Um, why else would I be here?" Rhys is confused and Jack just grins at him for a second before announcing:

"Come with me!"

"What?"

"Come with me! On tours and we can go to different towns and work shows in those towns. It'll be great. You an be my assistant and you can help me and everything will be great!"

"Uh Jack, I don't know if you know this but I'm not a magician. I don't know a thing about magic."

"And that's the beauty of it babe! Your ignorance is perfect," Rhys is a little miffed but Jack continues, "Up on stage was perfect! You sold my act like it was real magic. The look on your face was priceless, no one could recreate it. What do you say?" Jack starts waggling his eyebrows and give Rhys a moment to think.

Stay in this bum town and do nothing with is boring job or travel the globe with the most interesting man he has met. It was a no brainer really but he still felt like that was too easy for the older man.

"So what, we travel around and do shows?"

"Yeah basically," Rhys raised an eyebrow at that. "Look I'm bored on my travels and most assistants wont work with me because I'm 'too dangerous' or 'childish.' Whatever, none of them were like you, Rhysie. You're special," At that confession, Rhys was practically beaming. He thanks his lucky socks.

"Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, fuck it let's go."


End file.
